Now that the Umno divisional meetings are over. And we now know who's fighting who for what in 9 March. Things will get more intense. In other words will get worst.
Surely many of us must have heard about all this and will surely be hearing more as March draw nearer.
We hear of Umno folks asking big money to nominate candidates for national level party poll. Candidates paying big money to get voted even at divisional level. All kinds of tactics used to buy support. Threats and intimidation being used to stop nominations. Candidates prevented from meeting potential voters. Again threat, intimidation are used with "persuasive" techniques thrown in. Instructions are given on who to support and who not to. And many more. It's all happening now. And can only get worse as the national level party election in March gets nearer.
Lies and wild accusations? And just who's making such "vicious remarks" against the party proclaimed as the backbone of the Barisan Nasional? Undesirable elements? Irresponsible bloggers? Heck no. It's Umno leaders themselves who are spilling the beans. And they are saying it in the open. On record.
Browse the local papers and you will read about Khairy Jamaluddin talking of being victim of what he call "politics of demonisation". And who's behind the "demonisation"?" I think it's obvious they are coming from indie (Umno)", he told an old friend of mine Zainal Epi who now writes for The Malay Mail.
Before this his opponent for the Pemuda chief post Mukriz Mahathir said he was facing difficulties to meet Umno grassroot to campaign. Apparently referring to what can be termed as "roadblocks". Umno folks prevented by Umno folks from meeting him, an Umno man.
We have read also about Muhamad Mohamad Taib revealing "dirty tricks" had been used to deprive him of nominations for the post of deputy Umno president. He said he had been "victimised" by "certain quarters". By "certain quarters' he meant people in Umno.
"There were some places where they (delegates at Umno divisional meetings delegates ) were threatened. After they had nominated a person and that was seconded, nomination was closed right away," Muhamad was reported to have said.
But Ruhanie Ahmad, former strongman of Musa Hitam and still active in Umno have another story to tell. In his blog, Ron as he is popularly known , wrote about "talk" among Umno members of "kuasa ghaib" (unseen forces) instructing certain Umno divisions to nominate Muhamad and Ali Rustam for the deputy presidency "to prevent Muhyiddin Yassin from winning uncontested". (Incidently Ruhanie did not get a chance to bid for a supreme council seat ,falling five short of the required 10 nominations).
Azalina Othman Said, who is eyeing a shot at the Wanita Umno deputy chief post also have interesting things to tell. " My journey is very difficult. I was informed by my campaigners that Wanita Umno divisions have received calls to block nominations for me", she was quoted by The Star recently.
And she went on to say : "I am not hopeful ( of getting the 29 nominations required) because I accept the fact that this is the culture of Wanita Umno". Blocking nominations a culture of Wanita Umno? The norm? A few weeks after saying she was not hopeful, Azalina's 'fear' was realised. She failed to qualify for the deputy Wanita chief contest, securing only 21 nominations.
Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, chairman of the Umno disciplinary board admitted "money politics (read corruption) has gone out of hand." But said the board have indentified candidates who have abused their power and practised money politics.
If all that are revealed in the open, imagine what more is happening in the party which can only be said behind closed doors and "off the record". What more with many "wars" between the warlords at all levels of Umno. The party, to say the least, is in a mess.
But an aide of Muhamad Mohamad Taib told me that all this "hoo haa" is because of the March election and will "quieten down after that".
Yes, but after all the expose, how do Umno face the people ,Malays and non Malays alike, come the next general election? And say "trust us to safeguard your interests "when the rakyat have been told by Umno itself that the party is capable of doing nasty things to it's own kind?
Still an Umno loyalist tells me the "open talk" is proof of the party being honest and "telus' ( transparent). A party not afraid of admitting it got skeletons in it's closet. So said the Umno loyalist. But the problems are not new. We have heard of money politics and dirty tactics in Umno before. Acknowledging there's a problem is one thing. Solving it is another. There have been effort and attempt of course. But without success. Still Umno have carried all the "dirty baggage" before to face previous elections and somehow "successfully". Well, with the 08/03/08 polls being the exception.
So does Umno really want to rid itself of all it's dirty linen? Does the party have the will to clean itself up? Can Umno boleh?
(By MOHSIN ABDULLAH/ MySinchew)
(He is an Editor in Chief for News and Current Affairs of Ntv7 and 8TV/ MySinchew)
MySinchew
2008.11.16
PEOPLE'S POWER
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